


An Uncertain Future

by Duchess_Of_Dumpsters, FriendlyCurse



Category: Hermitcraft RPF, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Blood, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, My pen is bloody, Permanent Death AU, Ravagers are basically murder cows, Shipping, Soulmates AU, mentions of eye gore, mentions of gore, semi offscreen hermit death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 16,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28881606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duchess_Of_Dumpsters/pseuds/Duchess_Of_Dumpsters, https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendlyCurse/pseuds/FriendlyCurse
Summary: Tango goes in search of his soulmate and finds that fate decided to complicate matters.
Relationships: False/Cleo, Grian/Tango, Tango/Grian
Comments: 5
Kudos: 61





	1. Seeking Justice

**Author's Note:**

> Before we start I would like to make some important notes!  
> My part in writing this fic was actually small, the majority of this fic was written by FriendlyCurse. They don't normally do shippy things though and I was called in to lend a hand.... and a place to post lol.  
> I do not normally do collabs, I was good with it this round as Curse and I have very similar writing styles, the transitions between us in this should be quite smooth!  
> That said, please enjoy! Comments after are always appreciated!

The echoing clatter of hoofbeats announced the presence of an unexpected guest in the stronghold and Wels stepped out into the courtyard of the Knight’s little fortress. He was met by a wounded and exhausted villager he’d never seen before.

Hurrying over, he helped the man off the equally exhausted mount. Doc appeared nearby and led the horse to the stables. It would be in good hands so Wels focused on getting the babbling man indoors to the kitchen and some much needed food. As well as the weariness from what had to have been a long ride, the man clearly hadn’t eaten or slept in at least a day. With Impulse’s help he was able to make some sense of the poor man’s disjointed story. 

He was from a village a couple days ride from the stronghold. Not far from his village was a mansion that had been abandoned for a long time until recently. Not only had someone moved in, but the Evoker there seemed to have plans. He had laid claim to the area, let the villagers know they were to look to him as the king he wished to be and charged ‘taxes’ in exchange for protection. 

The protection in question consisted of his Vindicators who collected taxes by day and made sure any raiders or monsters who came to the city vanished before doing damage. Any villagers who set foot outside at night also vanished. The people were scared and trapped with nowhere to go. This one had only escaped by claiming to be going to the woods to hunt and just not stopping until he reached some sign of life. 

After getting some food in his belly and being assured they would help, he relaxed enough that sleep overwhelmed him. They wasted no time in gathering supplies and any of the Knights who wanted to take down this self proclaimed king. The villager would be escorted back home when he was rested and by then the others should have the problem dealt with. 

Within a couple of hours the team set out with Wels in the lead and Doc serving as his second in command for this mission. Impulse and Mumbo joined them as well. 

The first day of the trip was reasonably quiet as the Knights had secured the area after building their stronghold. They set up camp and as the others were getting settled in their tents, Wels stepped out of the camp to relieve himself. The peaceful moment ended with a bang. There was an explosion close enough to knock Wels over and chaos exploded around him. 

A raiding party descended upon the startled camp but in spite of the ambush, the Knights were never fully unprepared. Wels drew his sword and spun to face the advancing pillagers as their leader shouted orders - broadcasting their strategy in the process. 

Wels almost laughed. Almost. It was bad planning but there were quite a few members in this raid and they were outnumbered for the moment. He heard another explosion followed by the cackling of a pillager that abruptly ended with a shattering of glass. He smirked, though he couldn’t look away from the armed man who tried to throw dirt in his face - an ineffective move with a decent helm - he knew that Impulse had taken enough damage to require a potion and the empty bottle was never wasted with that Knight. The bomber would likely be finding glass shards the hard way for a week. If he survived this. 

As another pillager fell he spun to look for his next target and saw one man trying to sneak up on Doc’s foxes as they worked together to keep one of the bastards busy. He gave the whistle to alert the two and they turned to the new threat. Their original target fled as they lunged at the coward who saw animals as fair victims. It was hard not to find the screams of fear and pain a little satisfying as he made his way to the man mounted on a horse with a banner set in the saddle. 

An arrow bounced off his armor and attention went to a pillager hiding behind a tree. When the man ducked out of sight, he sprinted to the tree, shield ready as he neared. 

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU LOT?!” The raid leader shouted over the fray he still had not joined. “HOW ARE YOU LOSING TO THESE IDIOTS? REGROUP OVER HERE! AROUND  **ME!** ”

When the archer moved to follow orders Wels cut him off with a grin and the guy discovered archery definitely worked better from a distance. The others gathered around to form a partial wall around their leader who still seemed to think himself too special to join the battle directly.

The Knights advanced with undeterred smiles and the wall broke as the foxes nipped the legs of the horse causing it to buck the leader off and flee. 

“Hey! That’s not fair!” He protested from the ground. “What are you all waiting for?!  _ KILL THEM!! _ ”

The pillagers charged again as the leader angrily dug out weapons during the moment of leeway but by the time he was finally ready to fight with his comrades, the numbers had evened out and the look on his face turned to one of terrified realization. 

“It might be a good idea to surrender.” Wels suggested as the Knights faced the few remaining survivors. 

“Oh… uh… You’ll have to talk to him.” The leader said, pointing to a surprised underling. “This was all his idea. He’s actually the leader, I’m just a decoy so… you should let me go and just kill him.” 

“What?!” The indignant man blurted, looking around with frantic confusion. The blatant act of cowardice was enough to destroy what was left of the raiding party’s loyalty - they scattered to leave only a wide-eyed, badly outnumbered man. 

“It… uhhh… it was just a joke?” He suggested with a weak laugh. 

“Do you really expect us to believe that?” Wels demanded.

Fear vanished and the man stood up straighter. “You can’t kill me. I have the lucky amulet of luck! I’m the fastest, strongest,  _ luckiest _ man alive! You might as well just go back to your camp and I’ll go on my way.”

“You tried to have us killed.” Wels reminded him. “You were going to attack someone else if not us.”

“You can’t hold actions not committed against someone. That wouldn’t be a  _ knightly _ sort of thing to do.” He smirked triumphantly. 

Wels glanced to the other unamused faces then back. “You’re right. The blood of men like you should never be spilled by a Knight’s blade. I wouldn’t want it tainting the metal. Doc?”

He returned to camp as the foxes fell upon the cowardly, lying excuse of a man. He deserved no better. 


	2. Seeking Meaning

Tango watched the clouds in the dying light of dusk with a smile, the warmth radiating from the pendant he wore seemed to reach something deeper than his chest. He was closer, each step of his mount was closer. 

The ravager grunted and he chuckled, patting its neck. The beasts scared him the first time he saw one but there was something about them… they were smarter than they looked. He found out he communicated well with them though words were rarely necessary. Their body language was easy to read, their emotions simple to recognize in those big eyes. He’d come to enjoy the dangerous beasts far more than most ‘people’ he met. Ravagers even seemed like better people most of the time. 

Even so, he was lonely. He knew there was someone for everyone but those had just been words until he did some trading with a mage. Now this pendant would get warm if he was going in the direction of his soulmate, cold if moving away from them. Simple but effective. He’d sold and gifted his trained ravagers, packed up the few belongings that mattered most and headed out with his favorite mount to put an end to that feeling of emptiness. Life needed a meaning, needed to be shared by someone. 

It didn’t matter everything he cared about fit in the shulker box that served as his back rest. It didn’t matter he had no idea where he would end up. All that mattered was he’d have someone to figure all that out with and he couldn’t stop smiling as he tried to imagine what his soulmate would be like. He was betting she’d be beautiful. At least have beautiful eyes. What would her laugh sound like?

He was pulled from daydreams by a distant shriek of agony and kicked the grumpy beast to a gallop then down a side road as they entered a forest. 

The screaming had stopped by the time he heard other voices ahead. 

“Don’t touch that!” One snapped. “Let Mumbo look it over!”

They paused and turned with weapons ready as Tango approached. The four of them were well armed and armored Knights - a formidable sight. From the looks of the dead pillagers scattered around, that reputation was liable to increase even more.

Tango held his hands up as they raised swords in his direction. “Woah! Calm down! I’m not with them.”

“You have one of their beasts.” Pointed out one who stepped forward and while he didn’t put the weapon away, he did shift to a more neutral position.

“Yeah, I kept the big guy after a raid failed in the village I used to live in. Turns out they get along with me pretty well. Also learned their milk tastes like sour grass so don’t waste your time.”

“Ooooooookay, then…” The mustachioed Knight said after a moment of awkward silence. “I’m Mumbo. This is Wels, Impulse, and Doc. As long as you don’t cause trouble, you won’t have a problem with us.”

“I’m not looking for trouble.” He assured them. “Just travelling.”

“Alone?” Wels asked with a concerned frown.

“Well, the big guy here is good company.” 

“We were just ambushed by this raiding party.” Doc pointed out. “What would have happened if they’d caught you alone?”

“I’d have sent their ravagers into a panic and got out of there.” He shrugged. 

“Where are you going?” Wels asked.

Tango pointed the direction the pendant had been taking him all day. “That way.”

“Looks like we’ll be heading the same direction in the morning. You’re welcome to join us until paths part.” Wels offered. 

“Thanks.” Tango said after a moment of thought. Company would be nice and maybe he could pick up a few pointers from the more experienced warriors. “I’ll take you up on that. I’m not sure how far I’ll be going but the big guy probably needs rest, anyway.”

Impulse smiled and helped him set up camp while the others went back to examining one of the corpses. Tango was filled in on a bit more about them. Wels was the leader of the Knights, an unwavering pillar of goodness they all seemed to respect quite a lot. Doc was an animal trainer as well, though he preferred smaller creatures. Mumbo had studied magic for a long time and helped keep the Knight’s equipment in top shape. Impulse insisted he was nothing special, just a damn good fighter. Tango was pretty sure there was a heavy dose of modesty in there but didn’t push.

Once his little tent was set up he helped with a stew, tossing in a few ingredients he’d brought with. It was late to be eating but he hadn’t stopped since lunch and the others were wounded and definitely needed something to help them heal up before morning.

The others had all gathered around the campfire and started on eating before Mumbo joined them. “It’s cursed.”

“What is?” Wels asked.

“All of it. Everything that man had. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Mumbo shook his head. “The ‘Lucky amulet of luck’ had a delusion curse on it - he made his own luck. The rest of his gear had good enchantments for speed and durability but it was all cursed to return to him if removed. I’ve never seen anyone so selfish in my life. The stench was awful, I don't think he was able to remove anything for a proper washing.”

“Lucky amulet of luck?” Tango snickered. 

Mumbo shrugged. “It was written on the back with a quill from what I could tell.”

Wels rolled his eyes. “Oh well. Not much of a loss, then. We’ll have to find out whether they were independent fools or minions sent by the Evoker to bring back goods. For now we just have to expect more like them.”

With food gone and his story shared with his new companions, some settled to sleep while one of the Knights kept watch. Tango offered but was told not to worry about it and sleep. He couldn’t argue much since the full belly did make him more tired than usual at this time of night. 

He woke to the intangible vapors of a troubling dream. He couldn’t remember anything but was still left uneasy as he put his tent away and tended to the big guy. The Knights were already breaking camp with a practiced speed. 

As they got moving the uneasiness faded to be replaced by the warmth of the pendant. The assurance he was going the right direction, closer with every clomp of the big guy’s hooves. 

Those steady clomps still plodded on and on through the forest. Occasional spider attacks were the biggest concern on the long dirt road. When they ran out of idle conversation after a couple of hours, Tango’s mind wandered freely, only snapping back when Wels spoke. 

“Smoke.”

“Huh?” Tango looked around to see a few narrow trails of smoke over the trees ahead.

“That’s the village we’re here to help. There should be a path turning off to the right somewhere just beyond it.”

“Oh.” Tango murmured, turning a little with his hand wrapped around the amulet to try and tell where it was warmest. The fact that it  _ was _ a bit to the right of the village was a little concerning. Evokers gave him the heebie jeebies. Surely not…

He fell silent and didn’t hear any conversation as he debated what he would  _ do _ if his soulmate turned out to be an Evoker. He’d expected something more along the lines of a pretty farmer or maybe a librarian. Of course it could be a hunter out in the woods looking for game. That was a comforting thought he tried not to focus on the flaws of. 

Again it was a sharp noise that snapped him out of his thoughts. A screaming child was running away. Some of the villagers were gathering, pickaxes and hoes in hand. 

Wels held up a hand to the others. “Wait here. I’ll see what’s going on and explain who we are.”

Tango waited with the others as Wels rode up to the crowd and spoke with them. Though they seemed a little agitated, the crowd dispersed and within moments the town was empty. Wels motioned for them to continue and led them straight down the road and out of the little village. 

“What was that all about?” Tango asked once they had some distance. 

“They called you a ravager whisperer. Just like the Evoker. None had seen the guy before and thought you were him come to destroy them.”

“Seriously? Me?” Tango asked, doubly nervous now. The Evoker could understand ravagers, too? His stomach churned and he began to question the wisdom of following the warmth. Could he really care for someone who had done enough harm to warrant all these Knights? They intended to kill him - could he let them destroy his soulmate? Was he just doomed to be alone?

“....Hey. You alright?” Impulse asked. 

“Oh… yeah… I think…. maybe.” He mumbled, a little too lost to feign confidence. 

“I know it’s weird…. but maybe it’s a coincidence?”

“Yeah… I’m trying to tell myself that but it’s rare enough I’ve never heard about other people who could communicate with ravagers. That… might be where I’m drawn…”

“It might be best if you just keep going when we reach the turn. Maybe camp there and we’ll see where things stand when we are done.” Wels suggested with the firm tone that made it very clear they were going to do their duty one way or another. 

“I hope our paths part there… but I came to find someone and-” He fell silent, unable to finish the thought. Even if he was only there to say goodbye…

The bliss of the day before was gone and now there was only turmoil as they clomped down the narrow road… and then there was a shift in the warmth and with a low feeling of dread, he turned to follow them down the path leading deeper into the darker part of the forest. 


	3. Seeking Power

Wels led the way down the twisting path that looked for all the world like someone used a drunk zombie to clear the way through the trees. There was an increasing number of dangers as they went, skeletons hiding everywhere, zombies in cave-riddled crevices, spiders throughout the trees… None of it a true concern but certainly annoying in such numbers.

He was glad the kid following them had that ravager and had it under control. It took out most of the creatures attacking from behind in one chomp. If by some miracle things went well, he was considering talking to Tango about training some for the Knights. While not quite as fast as horses, the ravagers were ferocious and seemed to have a higher stamina.

They were still not quite to the mansion when the last of the light faded from the sky and torches were lit. It would be a long night and there was nowhere safe to camp in this area. They had to push on. While he could hear endermen in the distance and there was even more activity among the wildlife, the people in the mansion had to sleep sometime and few would dare storm the place at night. It was a necessary risk that might give them the element of surprise. 

That or put them at a worse disadvantage but he did trust his team. Tango was the wildcard. He’d hoped the man had stayed at the crossroads but if the Evoker really was the soulmate the man was seeking… they may have an angry ravager to deal with on the way out and he had no idea what kind of fighting skill the man had. It was not ideal but better to know where potential danger was than to drive it off and not know where it’s lurking. He was pretty sure the man would be following them regardless.

The moon indicated it was near midnight when they reached the massive doors of the building. Impulse slipped ahead to peek through the cracked door…. and vanished. Wels moved cautiously and as he neared, he saw a hole torn in the rug just outside the door. He cursed softly under his breath and gestured for them to watch their step. He didn’t like getting separated and hoped Impulse survived but he’d have to wait to find him until after they took out the threats within the mansion. 

They all stepped over the hole, Wels prodding the floor before each step, sticking to hardwood patches where possible. The others quickly took up following his example and avoided at least one more slitted piece of carpet over a hole that way. 

Tango was the only one who didn’t bother and seemed to almost drift around. As happy as he was the ravager was safely outside, Wels didn’t trust this and liked it less with every step. Still, he was the one with the soulmate seeking necklace and most likely to lead them directly to the Evoker so he let the man wander like a fool. 

If he was ever aware of Vindicators or any of the zombies who headed for him, Tango never showed it. The Knights intercepted and disposed of each in turn. They followed the man who moved like he was sleepwalking up stairs, down halls and finally to a room - a large bedroom occupied by a startled Evoker reading in the bed and a servant - a thin man with a mop of short brown hair and silver bands around neck, wrists and ankles - there was nothing but hate in the black eyes that followed the intruders. 

Mumbo took a sharp breath on seeing the servant but before he could stay anything the Evoker sprung into action. 


	4. Seeking Answers

Tango stared. The amulet was hot now and… he couldn’t tell…

He was oblivious to the chaos around him as he looked between the two but something… the dark eyes of the Evoker’s servant caught his and held them, first with a burning hatred but the longer they looked at each other, the more it shifted from hate to uncertainty. Still the servant did nothing to help the master. 

Tango felt a sharp pain in his arm as a Vex zipped by and sliced at him but still he didn’t look away from the piercing eyes, the snarling lips. Could this  _ really _ be his soulmate? The Evoker had dashed across the room to a more defensible position but the pendant still indicated… the servant. There was no end to the chaos of rage and misery in those eyes and everything Tango had hoped for was gone. This? What was going on?

And then there was quiet around him. The three Knights were standing with swords still ready, all eyes on the man who hadn’t moved an inch since they arrived. 

He took a few steps forward and Mumbo moved to grab him. “Stop. That’s a demon. If not for those silver bands we’d be dead already."

“It’s… him.” Tango pushed the grasping hand away. “He’s my soulmate, not the Evoker.”

“ **WHAT?!** ” Wels demanded, looking every bit as confused as the demon. 

With that statement momentarily distracting him, Tango saw something else in those eyes, something familiar. “He’s my soulmate and he’s in pain. We need to get that silver off of him.”

“ **Are you** **_insane_ ** **?!** ” Mumbo shouted and the Knights moved to get between the two. “Demons are mindless murderers! If you take those off of him he will regain his power and he will kill you! How does a demon even have a soul!? What is going on here?!”

“I can tell you.” A cheerful female voice proclaimed from the doorway. 

All but Wels turned to look at the… witch. There was a witch in the doorway, one arm supporting Impulse who looked like he’d been through a wringer, armor filthy and covered in evidence of significant injury that was only hinted at. He must have used a potion to heal up the worst of it. 

The man held up a hand to wave at them. “It’s alright… she’s… an ally. For now. Pulled me out of the flooded pit I dropped into.”

“Odd.” Mumbo murmured suspiciously. “What can you tell us about this demon, then?”

“His name is Grian. Or at least that was the name of the soul Cub put  _ in _ the demon. He wanted to see what would happen if a demon had the ability to think and feel like a normal person. When he was no easier to control, he used the silver to weaken the demon's power and kept him around as a personal servant." The witch giggled, waving at the snarling demon. "You can put the swords away, though. He's too weak to choke a kitten like this." 

"We can't leave him like this!" Tango insisted, pushing past the Knights. "It's cruel! He's in pain!"

The witch raised an eyebrow. "Take the silver off and he'll be able to kill again within about six hours. After a full day he'd be able to destroy the mansion… and village."

"Will you let them keep me a slave?" Grian whispered and Tango felt a stab in his heart. As terrifying as demons were, no one deserved a life of suffering and slavery.

"There has to be something that can be done! I wouldn't cooperate with an Evoker holding me captive, either! You'll behave, won't you?" He looked to his soulmate and froze as within a blink the man was inches from his nose.

"Release me and I will kill you." He whispered.

Tango held his gaze but under that malevolence there uncertainty, doubt. He smiled, the grin widening as confusion completely chased away the hatred in those eyes. "No, you won't."

"I'm sorry, Tango." Wels said, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back. "He may not kill  _ you _ but nothing would protect everyone else. We can't risk it."

"No!" Tango rounded on him and remained between the Knights and his soulmate. "There  _ has _ to be something we can do."

"I have an idea." The witch grinned. "I suspect Cub's experiment failed because the human soul simply wasn't strong enough to affect the mind and habits of a much older demon  _ but _ with the help of the matching soul temporarily connected, it should be strong enough to let the demon feel the difference and give the innate goodness a chance to take hold."

"Really?" Tango perked up. "You would do that for us?"

"Well… not free, of course." She giggled and held a hand out to him. "I just need you to promise I can ask a favor later. Do we have a deal?"

Mumbo stepped between them. "This is a bad idea, Tango…"

"If you have an idea other than 'kill Grian' I'm listening but if not, I'm not passing up a chance for him to  _ live _ ." Tango's sharp words drew a defeated wince from the Knight and he stepped around to shake the witches hand. As he did she spoke a couple of words and there was a sharp sting in his hand. "What was that!?"

"Just insurance, nothing to worry about." She smiled. "I need to get a few supplies, meet me in the ritual room."

"The what?" Tango asked, getting unnerved the more he actually thought about what he'd just done.

"Grian knows where it is." She chirped happily as she slipped out under the glares of the Knights.

"It's never a good idea to trust a witch." Wels grumbled once she was gone.

Impulse gave him a nod, guilt playing across his features. "Sometimes there isn't much choice."

"What do you think you will gain from this?" Grian whispered from over his shoulder and Tango jumped a little at the sudden proximity. He could feel the demon's chest pressing gently against his shoulder blade.

It took a moment to collect his thoughts as he turned around. It wasn’t easy to look into the unnerving eyes but there had to be a good person in there somewhere. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s hopeless… but you deserve a real chance. There has to be more than just hate in you.”

“There isn’t.” He said bluntly, “All I want right now is to rip your eyes from your skull and eat them.”

“Uhhh… well, that’s just because you only know bad people.” Tango reasoned, knowing he didn’t have the strength but still unnerved by the absolute sincerity of Grian’s words. 

“Not really. They have a nice slimy texture when they pop.” He said, an edge of amusement in his tone as Tango tried to hide his queasiness at the thought.

“Just… try not to do that to any  _ people _ .” Tango muttered.

“Not ‘try’, ‘absolutely  **_do not_ ** do that.” Wels snapped irritably. “There is no way we will be leaving you alone with this thing once the bands are off. It won’t be able to keep control. Not for long if it even tries.”

“ _ He _ will do just fine.” Tango countered, more irritated at their attempt to dehumanize Grian - even if he wasn’t human. He wasn’t an ‘it’. “He just needs a chance to feel what it’s like to be happy. Once I show him why good is better, he’ll have control.”

“You sound like an idiot.” Doc pointed out. “That is one of the most flawed arguments I’ve ever heard.”

“Yeah, well, sometimes you just have to follow your heart. My heart says my soulmate is not a lost cause.” Tango insisted, though his confidence was shaken.

“Just understand that by doing this, you will be held responsible for the results.” Wels said with a resigned sigh. "The chance of everything going wrong is a lot higher than any hope of a good outcome. If he kills anyone, the blood will be on your hands. You will die together.”

Tango looked at the floor, considering the much more immediate weight of this decision. He wanted to have faith but… it was a good point. It would be his fault and everyone - even his soulmate - was telling him this was a bad idea. But what kind of life would he have if he just walked away? Lonely meaninglessness, just drifting around waiting to die. He looked up into the piercing black eyes that felt like they could easily see the darkest secrets in the hidden corners of his soul… and as much as they unnerved him, there was something familiar. He’d be happier keeping a demon in line than just being alone. “I’d rather take care of a demon brother or die together than go back to having nothing.”

“Brother.” Grian whispered as if speaking the word for the first time. 

Doc shook his head. “I wish you wouldn’t make us do this.”

“You don’t  _ know _ what to expect. Now stop trying to talk me out of it.” Tango said firmly. “Maybe it’s a bad idea, maybe it is his salvation. It’s nothing you can’t handle and a risk I need to take. If I don’t  _ try _ , I will never be able to forgive myself. Where are we going, Grian?”

The demon regarded him thoughtfully for a moment before leading them out and through the large halls, up a floor and into a room with a strange altar. There were cobblestone benches running down both sides of the room and black banners hanging overhead. The Witch was already there and a number of tools and potions were carefully placed. 

The delighted woman guided Tango and Grian to their places. “Oh! I’m False, by the way. What’s your name?”

“Tango.”

“Full name?”

“TangoTek.” He admitted, a little surprised. 

“Lovely.” She giggled and motioned for the Knights to sit, though Wels remained standing in the door glaring at False. 

“You really want to die, don’t you?” Grian’s whisper in his ear made him jump.

“We won’t die. I know you won’t just go on a rampage. You don’t look stupid… just abused. I don’t blame you for wanting to kill people after being stuck here, basically tortured non-stop. Most people aren’t like that, though. You’ll see, life can be fantastic and I’ll be watching your back. I won’t let anyone hurt you like that again.”

“You really think you have the ability to make good on that promise, don’t you?” False giggled.

Tango huffed, increasingly irritated by  _ everyone’s _ lack of faith in both him and Grian. “The world doesn’t have to be terrible, you know.” 

"Oh, you sweet, innocent child." False cooed, ruffling his hair. "Ready?"

His response was lost as she spoke a few words and the world seemed to warp, twist, grow, shrink and turn inside out. All the while he felt a burning rage and malevolence surround and sink into him.

When it all settled into place he sat still taking stock. That darkness was radiating from Grian but instead of being an unnerving impression the rage, the pain, the desire to kill everyone - it felt almost like it was coming from himself. After a fearful moment the intense cloud of unfamiliar feelings settled in enough to find his familiar self under Grian's much  _ louder _ self.

"How do you feel?" False asked with a knowing grin.

"Different." He admitted, though when he went to speak there was a sharp pain and it came out as a whisper. He looked over at Grian who looked back, waiting. Tango glanced down and clenched his fist, another sharp stab where Grian's cuff was. Standing, his legs almost buckled as more pain lanced through each ankle as it took on his weight. "Get the silver off of him… it hurts…"

"What? You feel that in the soul connection?" Mumbo asked.

"Oh, no. I did that for  _ you _ lot. They will feel each other's physical pain, too!" False said with a bright smile. "It will make it easier if the demon proves too strong and you have to kill them. This will last until the full moon so you've got to sort things out by then!"

"Seven days isn't long. Are you sure you can do this?" Doc asked, watching Grian more than Tango.

"Yeah." 

"So that's what it looks like when you lie…" Grian whispered in his ear and there was that stab of pain in his throat again. It was strange to share that constant pain and it was hard to imagine he'd been living with it since being experimented on.

"It's not a lie." Tango protested in a hoarse whisper. "Just not confident yet."

"There's only one way to gain confidence!" False said cheerfully then called to the door. "CLEO!"

A zombie entered the room, little pouches and bottles were tied all over her but it was the creeper head she carried that drew Tango’s attention. The Knights looked distinctly uncomfortable as False dug through, selected a bottle and threw it at Grian. It smelled awful but didn't seem to have an effect.

False grinned. "Alright, Cleo, remove the bands!"

"But he threatened to kill me!"

"Well-"

"Yesterday!"

"Oh, calm down." False laughed. "That's just his way of saying hello. Right now he's connected to his soulmate there and if he steps out of line the Knights will kill them both!"

With a huff, Cleo walked over and plopped the creeper head in Tangos lap. While it didn't ooze or stink, it was definitely a real head staring back at him with glazed eyes. Grian watched him get a grip on his disgust with an expression that was far more neutral than the amusement he felt coming from the man. She caught Tango’s eyes and held them. “Sometimes it’s better not to find what we seek.”

She knelt in front of Grian and carefully wiggled her fingers under the seamless band on one ankle and Tango had to make an effort to not cry out from the absurd amount of pain that caused. Still Grian watched him with barely a flinch as it intensified when the zombie pried again and the metal broke. Tango couldn't remember ever feeling so much pain and his vision dimmed before the band was cast aside. Not just a band, though. An off center silver spike had been broken off and removed as well. He looked down and saw the slow trickle of blood coming from the hole above Grian's heel. 

The pain made sense - to guarantee the contact of silver each one was a  _ piercing _ . He met Grian's unwavering gaze, felt the satisfaction of understanding - and the brief pleasure as the spike in the second anklet was jerked and broken.

By the time the pain eased enough for him to think straight Cleo was moving for the second one and Grian was distracted by a deep confusion. Tango didn’t have time to do more than brace as one of his wrists exploded in agony. 

“Maybe you should take a break…” Impulse suggested uneasily as the second cuff came off and clattered to the ground. 

“No!” Tango managed, though it was hard to put any strength in the words that escaped like sandpaper. “He’s suffered from this long enough. Keep going.”

He didn’t have time to enjoy the bright burst of surprise from Grian before Cleo got started and it took all his focus just to keep from screaming. The sickening sensation of the spike sliding out was almost immediately followed by both the return to painless movement and the flood of relief as Grian relaxed a bit. 

“Please don’t kill anyone.” Tango said, drawing that piercing gaze again. “I’d rather neither of us die.”

“For now.” He agreed, briefly pleased to be able to speak properly without a pierced vocal cord.

“How long were you like that, anyway?”

“Eight years.” He admitted with a burst of burning rage.

Tango stood, pulled him up, and wrapped him in a tight hug. 

“What… are you doing?” Grian asked, still tense and deeply baffled.

“Hugging you.”

“....Why?”

“You need it.”

“I do not.” Grian argued with a sharp, indignant tone.

“Yes, you do. You just didn’t know it.” Tango smiled wider at the burst of annoyance when Grian realized that it  _ was _ oddly comforting.

He released the demon.  _ Soulmate _ , he corrected himself. It would be an uphill battle but he was pretty sure this would work now. 

Cleo retrieved the forgotten creeper head and dusted it off as she approached Grian. “You have a nice head. I’ll preserve it after they kill you.”

With that vote of confidence, the zombie wandered from the room to leave him with the giggling witch and four tense Knights.


	5. Seeking Control

Wels, Impulse and Mumbo stood by the door, watching. Watching impatient and frustrated as the demon and the idealistic fool stared at each other. What happened depended entirely on the intelligence of the demon. He might kill Tango just because it was easy. He might put it off a little while. He might wait until this bond ended. True reform was unlikely. Near impossible if any of his experience was to go by. There was no way they could risk letting this demon go free. 

Trapping him the way he had been, while effective, was cruel. Death was the merciful option. 

“We should get them back to the Hall. Build some kind of containment area…”

“Just keep it prisoner forever, then?”

“It doesn’t have to be a  _ bad _ prison.” 

“True… It’s either that or assign a guard complement at all times.” Wels sighed.

“It would still be an improvement on his current situation.”

“Probably best. We’ll go with that for now.” Wels nodded. 

“You’ll have to hold off on that, sorry.” False grinned, appearing beside him. 

He glared at the sneaky witch. “Why?”

“Tango is going to be training the ravagers in the stables to obey me.”

“Wait, what?” Tango looked over sharply.

“You owe me a favor, you’ll be retraining Cub’s ravagers for me.”

“ _ What?  _ Absolutely not!” Wels said firmly. The last thing they needed was a witch with a pack of ravagers at her beck and call.

“Would you rather I release them?” She asked with a smirk. “There are eight of them and they would make quick work of the village, you know. Or should we  _ murder _ the poor beasts who are just following their nature?”

“We can’t just kill them.” Tango agreed. “They aren’t the most friendly creatures by most standards, but they’re not bad.”

Wels felt a headache coming on. Maybe just killing the witch…

“And Impulse, dear, I’m going to call in one of my favors from  _ you _ .” False spoke without looking away from Wels, that cheeky smile still firmly in place. “With Cub no longer around to run the mansion, I’m taking over the care of the property. I have no intention of causing trouble so you will make sure the Knights do not cause me harm and tell the villagers if they leave me alone, I’ll return the favor. They’ll never hear a peep from me or anyone under my control here.”

“Impulse?” Wels raised an eyebrow. 

He sighed and gave a small nod. “She extracted two favors from me. One for pulling me out of that pit before I drowned, another for healing the damage I took in the fall.”

Wels cursed under his breath. Owing evil people favors was never good and as unnervingly helpful as she had been - she was still a dangerous being. “We will stay here to keep an eye on Grian, then. If he is deemed dangerous when time runs out, we’ll make sure he doesn’t slaughter everyone here then move on to do the same elsewhere.”

“Perfect! I’ll have guest rooms prepared for you all!” False chirped happily and bounced out of the room. 

“This is not good.” Wels grumbled. “We need to stay on high alert for the next week. She may have us picked off so she can ally with the demon when the bond breaks. Witches can’t be trusted.”

“She seems nice.” Tango shrugged.

“Seems. Key word, there. Witches are devious creatures and we are absolutely being manipulated.” Impulse sighed. “Sorry, Wels. I knew it was a bad choice but I’d probably have bled to death down there if I didn’t drown first. I had to agree to her offers.”

He nodded and sighed. “I don’t blame you. It’s an unenviable position but that is exactly what witches like her look for. We should be mostly safe but watch your back. She won’t want to let go of the power a demon would offer.”

“We should just handle this the smart way.” Doc added, not looking away from the demon who still stared at Tango with all the friendliness of a hunter who had prey cornered just out of reach. 

As much as Wels agreed simply killing everything known for violence and cruelty would be best, Tango was an innocent and if the demon died in the next week - so would he.  _ Damn fool _ . They would have to do their best to protect him and hope Grian didn’t lose patience. It was unlikely he’d kill Tango since it would be suicide - but there was very little protecting everyone else. Just four Knights - one who owed a favor to a dangerous woman.

He didn't like being stuck in a situation with so much simply out of his control.


	6. Seeking Balance

Tango felt like an insect under glass. It felt like he had nowhere to hide that Grian couldn’t see and he was absolutely being judged. Not just judged - but judged as a lesser being. Still, there was a curiosity that hadn’t been there before. 

Every time he started to speak those intense eyes made him second guess himself. He was just glad they were connected in a way that guaranteed his safety. Temporarily… he had no doubt any threats made by Grian were not empty. He may not act on them immediately… but he’d never felt such darkness and anger before. It was controlled out of habit more than desire but it took effort to remind himself that he was not the one wanting to see the Knights in pieces. More than once he stopped himself from reaching for an axe.

“Rooms are ready!” False sang from the door. “You know where yours is, Grian. Tango is next to you. I’ll give the Knights a proper tour so you two have a minute to talk in private. No arguments, you lot! The only ones in any danger are you.”

_ ‘And you…’ _ Tango managed to keep it to himself but the surge of hatred when she spoke made it clear that Grian would love to kill her more than the Knights. 

It was only reluctantly the four agreed to the tour and a stop by the kitchen. 

...and then he was alone with an unbound demon.

“Do you really think this will end well for anyone but me?” Grian asked. 

Tango shrugged. “I hadn’t given it much thought. I mean… everyone says it’s stupid to give you a chance but you’re not  _ just _ a demon. You have a good soul. I don’t think you’ve given that much thought, either. Even if you refuse to change your ways in the name of self-preservation… well, your soul deserves the chance. You are better than other demons now.”

He snorted, finally looking away. “How have you even  _ survived _ this long in the real world?”

“I have ravagers as pets.” He shrugged. “You’re allowed to be a dreamer when anyone who tries to bring you down gets a chunk bitten out of their arm.”

Grian smiled. It wasn’t a big smile, but it was undeniable and actually suited him quite nicely. “Not the answer I expected. So you’re not a completely harmless little calf after all.”

“Technically, no.” Tango agreed. “I’m not harmless, I just don’t like to cause harm without good reason. You were tortured and forced into slavery - that’s not a good reason to kill a bunch of people. The one who did it is gone. There are good things in life and I want you to have the chance to experience them.”

“Why?”

“What? Well…” Tango floundered, not sure how to explain it to a creature who simply didn’t understand empathy and kindness. “You deserve to be happy. Everyone does. Besides, I’ll be right there enjoying the good times with you. You seem to think I need to get something out of it - there you are. I want to enjoy my life and I don’t want to do it alone. Now that I’ve found you, it’s like having a brother.”

“You’ve said that before.” Grian looked back and narrowed his eyes. “We do not share parents, how can you be my ‘brother’?”

“Not physically, of course, but family is important. I don’t have any left… not even friends close enough to  _ feel _ like family. We have a connection whether you like it or not, our souls are on the same wavelength. That means we are family in a way. Brothers don’t always agree, or even get along, but they are there to help each other through hard times. To protect each other. I’m going to do what I can to protect you from the people who want to kill you just because of what you used to be. Maybe I’ll fail… but if I didn’t try I would regret it for the rest of my life.”

“I used to have a brother.” Grian said thoughtfully. 

“Really?”

“He tried to destroy my territory so I ripped him to pieces and scattered those through the lava pits of the nether.”

“Oh… well, that’s not really what human brotherhood is like.” Tango said with a nervous laugh. “I have no intention of causing trouble for you.”

“Good.” Grian stretched, pleased to do so without the pain of strain on piercings. Without them keeping him weak, he even seemed to be changing. Tango was fairly certain he was a little taller, a little more muscular. “I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

“Alright.” Tango smiled, forcing his mind to more optimistic places as they walked. “So, what’s your favorite memory?”

“Hunting ghasts.”

“Really?” He grinned. 

“I liked dropping down from stalactites and digging through to eat their hearts.”

The uneasy lurch of his stomach brought another little smile from the demon. “You remind me of a wolf pup. Weak, confused, just seeking approval from the big people around you. Given time you might be a force to be reckoned with.”

“But I don’t want to intimidate people or… well,  _ be _ a force to be reckoned with.”

“Why not?” The question was honest, that statement had made absolutely no sense to Grian. 

“To be feared you have to do things to earn it. I would rather be underestimated. Anyway, my favorite memory so far has been the midsummer festival when I was a kid. I didn’t even really know that there were bad things out there at that point. It was a day full of games, laughter, music…” He let his mind wander back and relive some of those blissful moments. He needed Grian to understand that being good felt good. “No enemies, nothing to prove to anyone. Everyone just talked and danced and told jokes. There wasn’t time to be sad. When the sun went down there were fireworks against the stars. I wish you could have seen it.” 

Grian didn’t answer, and for the first time in a while, turned his attention to the hallway ahead. He was a little shaken by the unfamiliar emotions he’d been exposed to and wasn’t sure how to handle.

“Maybe we can go next summer. No one knows you and if we don’t advertise that you’re a demon they won’t notice. You look mostly normal.”

“For now.” He mumbled. “I don’t know how the human soul will affect me once the silver’s effects wear off. Cub tried to hide the truth as much as possible.”

“Weird… you’d think he would make a bigger deal about it. It’s not like he was hiding what he was very well.” Tango pointed out.

“True, but he wanted to know he had a demon captive, not feel like he was in immediate danger. My horns may grow back. My fingernails may return to being talons. We’ll just have to wait and find out how much this damned soul has changed me.”

“Do you still want to kill me?”

“....less than I did before.” He admitted begrudgingly. 

“I knew it!” Tango grinned. Even that little bit was greatly encouraging. Even better was the return of that annoyed and confused little scowl that meant Grian was feeling optimistic, too, even if he didn’t know what the word for it was.

They finally came to a stop at one of the doors and Grian opened it. “For now, this will be your room. It’s been empty for years but it looks like Cleo did a bit of dusting for you.”

The heavy, dusty air certainly offered evidence the place had been empty a long while. Tango went around and opened windows so the heavy air could escape. He’d probably need to dust again since, without anywhere to go, much of the cloud had begun to resettle. He didn’t blame the zombie woman, she did what she could but he doubted this was part of her regular job. That did bring back some questions he hadn’t had time to ask before.

“What’s with Cleo, anyway? How did she end up helping False?”

“A favor, of course.” Grian said, going to lean out one of the windows. “Almost time for a change in the guard…”

“Uhh… what are you planning to do?” Tango asked, frustrated that he had to feel uneasy about that at all. The last thing he’d expected was to have a soulmate he had reason to fear.

He returned inside and regarded Tango with an unnervingly neutral expression as compared to the chaos of emotions warring in him. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“What… are the options?”

“I’m fairly certain you don’t want all the answers to that.” Grian said, lips spreading in something that could have been either a smile or a grimace. 

“Top three?” Tango suggested, though he wasn’t sure that was much better from the low chuckle. 

“Abscond, obfuscate, or aggravate.” 

Tango regarded him in silence a moment. “Do any of them not get us killed?” 

“Two of them. Probably. Maybe all three if I go further down the list as well.”

“Alright, which do you think  _ I _ would consider most fun?” He asked, hoping this would nullify anything deadly or particularly dangerous… or bloody. Was it too soon to give Grian this much trust?

“Obfuscate, then.” He nodded and vanished.

Tango took a sharp breath as he realized how bad this could be… then Grian was there again, beside him and with an arm wrapped around his shoulders. 

“Let’s go.”

Before he could argue, Grian pulled him out the window and carried him under one arm like he was weightless as he climbed up to the roof of the building. He’d made it seem effortless as he set Tango down and sat on the edge of the roof beside him, one arm braced behind Tango’s back. 

“As long as we’re in contact we’ll both be invisible to the others.” Grian assured him. 

“Won’t they get upset when they can’t find us?”

“Yeah.” The edge of Grian’s lip pulled up in an almost smile. 

“They said it would take time for your power to return.” Tango pointed out after a minute. It was an odd kind of peaceful here, far enough from the patrolling guards below that only the occasional noise from the ravagers even reached them. 

“It’s taking longer than I like.” He nodded and a scowl touched his features once more. “This requires very little effort. Even with only a portion of my strength back, I’ve carried dogs heavier than you.”

Considering that Grian was certainly the smaller of the two it was quite the statement. Tango grinned and just looked up at the moon. Seven days to prove Grian wouldn’t destroy them all at the first opportunity. Or the second. Or third. Being alive at the moment was a good start. 

After a few more minutes Grian reached into a bag tied to his belt. “Every night at the same time the guard goes through the same stupid routine. Cub loved watching them. Time for 'aggravate'.”

Tango went from relaxed to alert in seconds as Grian leaned forward to get a better look at the guards below as they moved in something almost like a dance. With something in one hand, Grian grinned and threw it. There was no time to protest or intercept, only a moment of dread before the projectile struck one of the guards and a chicken burst forth. 

Between the relief and the absurdity, Tango was lost to hysterical laughter and before long Grian had no choice but to surrender to it. The front of the mansion echoed with laughter and the confused clucks of sudden chickens until it hurt too much to keep laughing.

“I knew you could have fun without killing things.” Tango grinned, taking the last egg from Grian and pitching it down on the scattered guards below. 

“I didn’t.” He admitted quietly. “That was fun?”

“Absolutely.” Tango grinned. “So, ‘obfuscate and aggravate’ was a great call.”

Grian’s response was interrupted by furious calls from below. 

“Sounds like they realized we’re missing.” Tango sighed.

“If they’re not careful I’ll have to go with my first choice.” Grian sighed and wrapped an arm around Tango and got them back to the bedroom with minimal terror. Tango was not at all used to being swung around like a sack of potatoes but managed to hold tight until they were safe. Wels was standing in the open doorway facing out. Grian’s magic must have made them silent as well to have not drawn attention but before long they were sitting on the foot of the bed and Grian broke contact. 

“That’s a good point,” He said in a low but clear voice. “But have you considered just removing their entrails and replacing them with toads and broken glass?”

Tango was glad Grian set him facing away from the Knight as he heard the movement of armor and couldn’t help but grin. “Usually it’s not necessary to go to those extremes to get your way.”

“How did you get in here!? Where have you been!?” Wels demanded. 

“We have been sitting here talking. Perhaps you are in need of rest.” Grian suggested.

Tango nodded. “I’ve heard if you overwork yourself you start missing things. We said hello but you didn’t seem to notice us so we just kept talking.”

“You weren’t in here.” Wels insisted.

“You were blocking the door and if we’d come in through a window or something you’d have heard it.” Grian shrugged.

Still clearly angry, Wels huffed a sigh. “Fine… Doc will be standing guard tonight so don’t try anything.”

“Of course he won’t!” Tango grumbled. 

Grumbling to himself, Wels stepped out of the room to call off the demon hunt. 

“I mean… you  _ won’t _ , will you?” Tango asked, looking back to Grian.

“Probably not tonight. This is the best I’ve felt in years and it helps having been avenged somewhat. I’d rather see this whole damned mansion burn to the ground but that would require killing False and all the people now loyal to her and that would just get me killed… so I’ll settle for sleeping without the pain for once.” Grian said, standing. 

“I’m glad that’s an option for you.” Tango grinned. 

Grian shook his head and made his way to the door. “Sincerity… I don’t think it’s as common as you believe.”

“More common than you do.” Tango laughed. “Good night, Grian.”

The demon paused to give him one more measuring look before stepping out and closing the door.


	7. Seeking Assurance

Once upon a time things had made sense.

Wels paced near the stable. A stable full of death. Ravagers kept in stalls like horses. With these creatures at her command, the witch could do a lot of damage and Tango was in there earning the trust of the creatures. Nothing about this was right. Especially the unbound demon perched atop the framework of the stalls. The beasts being half infernal as they were, the presence of such evil didn’t bother them the way it did the horses. The Knights' horses were currently being kept well away. 

The chaos of the night before still bothered him. A flock of chickens literally fell on the house, the demon and Tango went missing in the chaos and then reappeared out of nowhere acting like nothing had happened. He’d expected the truth out of Tango but no answers were offered. Either it was a harmless joke or the demon was corrupting the fool. One of the options was very likely.

“You can relax.”

The demon’s voice so close made him jump. He hadn’t seen movement and his peripheral vision was usually excellent. Demons were usually weaker during the day and this one still not up to full strength… “How is it you expect me to relax with someone known to kill as easily as breathing and almost as often running loose?”

“You are as rational as you are overprotective, right?” Grian asked, black eyes burning holes through him. Still, Wels gave a nod. “I have discovered that having a human soul enhances my powers. If I wanted any of you dead, you would not be alive. If I change my mind you will not have time to defend. Accept your fate as it comes. At worst, I assure you I will be returning to the nether. I’ve been away from home for far longer than I like.”

“Why should I believe you?” He demanded.

“Because if you continue to treat me like a creeper on the verge of exploding, I will get very tired of hearing you breathe.” He turned and sauntered back to the stable to leave Wels fuming and deeply unnerved.


	8. Seeking More

“How long do you think this will take?” Wels demanded.

The abrupt question almost made Tango choke on his water. “Uhh… I don’t know. I have to work with each ravager independently. They aren’t really pack animals by nature. They were smart enough to work with people once, it’s just a matter of getting them to understand their old friend won’t be returning. After they accept that, they’ll listen to me.”

“When will they listen to  _ me _ ?” False asked, her cheerful facade momentarily set aside as she looked at him over the long table. What he saw did unnerve him because as friendly as she had seemed up to this point, it was an intelligent and very cunning mind behind those eyes.

His frayed nerves suddenly eased and he felt a wash of confidence, a wicked eagerness began to seep in as well. He glanced at Grian to see a ghost of a smile as he watched False. Tango looked back to the new mistress of the manor. “Again, it depends on a lot of factors. You won’t be able to talk to them as I do but if you write a list of commands I’ll see what I can do.”

“Perfect!” Her cheerful tone returned and she went back to eating. 

There was enough roasted chicken on the table for each person to have one, though some had less than that. Once in a while a plate would suddenly be empty of even bones. Tango was sure Grian was doing it somehow but he hadn’t moved as far as he could tell. If anyone noticed, they were making an effort to pretend they hadn’t. 

More than anything, he was trying to pretend Cleo wasn’t eating with them. Her chicken hadn’t been cooked. Or killed. She was happy but until the poor bird stopped moving he hadn’t been able to eat and the amusement and vague envy Grian felt watching the disgusting feast did nothing to help. After the creature fell silent it was easier to ignore the zombie eating with relish. 

Everyone seemed relieved when it was time to escape the awkward, tense situation. Grian decided they were going for a walk and Mumbo volunteered to keep an eye on them. The resulting discussion ended with them agreeing that Mumbo would follow at a respectful distance while the two talked. Tango kept out of it since Grian was maintaining a good hold on his temper. 

It was nice to be somewhere other than the stables, though. While she had been polite about it, False had been very clear what he needed to be doing. Something in her expression made him quite certain he would be wise not to challenge her. 

The beautiful, massive hallways no longer seemed frightening with the knowledge that nothing there would hurt him. He could appreciate the rich color in the wood, the huge windows, the pleasing faint echo of their footsteps.

“You really do find contentment in simply existing, don’t you?” Grian asked after a few minutes of silence.

“Right now? Yeah. Not always. This is a fantastic old mansion and I’ve never really had the opportunity to see one before. I know I’m safe with you here so there’s no reason not to enjoy it.” Tango smiled. “Don’t you ever just stop to enjoy the moment and take in the good parts of your surroundings?”

“No.” 

“You should. Life is only as miserable as you let it be.”

“It’s less tedious and painful but just as boring as it used to be.” Grian shrugged.

“Then don’t let it be boring.” Tango gave him a mischievous smile. “Got any eggs left?”

“Of course.” 

Grinning, Tango took the lead to a staircase nearby. As soon as they turned the corner to reach it, they sprinted and threw as many eggs as they could before Mumbo’s footsteps drew near. Grian made them invisible and passed by the man. He froze on seeing the chickens pecking and scratching at the stairs then looked around just in time to see them resume walking down the original hall. Tango was entirely incapable of holding back his laughter once out of sight. He knew it would give away their involvement but Mumbo had surely guessed and his expression with that twitchy moustache had been perfect!

Grian fell victim to the laughter again, redoubling as Mumbo fell into step behind them again with an agitated glare. They’d passed through two more halls before getting full control and falling to silence again. 

“Let’s compare memories again.” Grian suggested after a bit. “This time don’t say what the memory is, just think about it.”

Tango nodded and partially closed his eyes as he considered possibilities. He wanted to share real happiness with Grian but a lot of his memories were bittersweet or just… lonely. Finally he settled on meeting his first ravager when he was young. It had been the only survivor of a raid on the town. He had scavenged on the edge of town, evading hunters for days. Finally it came to his farmhouse looking for food. He talked and it seemed to listen. It made noises and he was pretty sure he could guess what it was saying. By the end of the evening it was eating carrots gently from his hand and he had a friend. He’d been truly happy just watching the stars with that stinky old beast.

“Such innocent joy…” Grian murmured to himself before smiling and closing his eyes. 

Tango was assaulted by feelings of near rapturous thrill, an excitement he was certain he’d only ever felt a fraction of and he stumbled as a wave of dizziness struck him. Grian paused and offered an arm for support. 

“What… was that?” Tango asked, taking a deep breath. He wanted to feel that again…

“The first time I flew.”

“You can fly?”

“I could before my wings were removed. I’m not sure whether they will grow back, though.” He admitted and the two shared a bitter, pained disappointment. 

“Maybe… someone knows how if they don’t return on their own?”

“Perhaps. I’d rather do without than ask False, though. I’d rather not owe her favors. She’s been offering to free me for a while.”

“You didn’t take her up on the offer?”

“Of course not. She’d make sure I couldn’t kill her. The protection she’s currently under will end, though.” He smiled, genuinely encouraged by that knowledge.

“You have a stronger will than anyone I’ve ever known.” Tango did admire the man for that. He could barely stand just feeling a brief moment of the pain Grian had suffered for years. 

Grian looked at him thoughtfully a moment, conflicted about something but after a few steps that was resolved. A little further and he stepped to the side, grabbing Tango and pulling him into a room filled with vines and flowers. He held him against the wall just inside the door. “Happiness is like a fire, burning bright and warm. It feeds on itself and becomes its own addiction… I feel like I should hate you for showing me this side of life.”

The words had barely sunk in before Grian’s lips brushed his and then he was gone, talking about the spells used to keep the flowers alive in this room hidden well away from sunlight as Mumbo caught up. 

Tango was not entirely able to pretend nothing happened.  _ What  _ had _ happened? _ He could feel Grian’s smug satisfaction but also the edge of uncertainty, a faint and unfamiliar doubt. He moved to fall back in step, pretending to listen as if everything was normal.

Was anything normal? No, of course not. Who was he kidding? His soulmate was a  _ demon _ of all things. He kept pace behind Grian, trying to piece together what Grian’s intentions were. The details on the spells drifted past him without really settling in, his mind rolling that brief moment round and round. Something there that just wasn’t clicking into place yet but the longer it went on the more that uncertainty in Grian seemed to grow. Tango bit his lip, realizing he needed to say something,  _ do  _ something, but what? 

“It’s impressive, the plants do quite well.” He said in a silent moment Grian had left hanging in the air. Perhaps it wasn’t what Grian was expecting to hear, perhaps the other had not held any hopes at all. Tango looked from one of the plants over to Grian, who was watching him with that piercing black gaze. If Grian was willing to take a chance, he might as well go all in and do the same. “Really though, as nice as they are they pale in comparison to you.”

That caught him off guard, though the surprise didn’t hold, bowled over in favor of the earlier smugness. Perhaps Tango’s own hopes from just a few days before weren’t so out of reach after all. Could he dare to hope? Should he? Probably not. Would he anyway? Most definitely. Despite what literally everyone within the walls of the mansion said, despite the high chance of failure, despite fate literally slapping him in the face by handing him a demon for a soulmate... despite all of that he was going to hold hope things would work out.

He crossed the few steps Grian had gotten ahead of him. Catching his hand in his own, he reveled in the wash of emotion, heated but not anger, which rolled between them. A smirk pulled at Grian’s lips, a glint in those eyes dark as the void. It seemed the demon, for all he’d insisted about killing, wasn’t going to resist this emotion, new or not. Grian’s free hand came up, taking a fistful of Tango’s shirt before pulling him closer, eliminating the distance between them in a blink. Tango was happy to oblige, leaning in to catch Grian’s lips in a more proper kiss. It was like throwing fuel on a fire, the earlier spark roared to life in such a way it was nigh impossible to tell which of them the emotion had really started from. Not that it mattered at that point. Tango snaked his fingers through Grian’s hair and Grian pushed him against a wall. Tango gently pulled Grian, tilting his head for better reach to deepen the kiss, earning him a low growl in response, Grian pressing himself against him until their bodies were flush.

Tango only reluctantly broke away just to breathe, sagging against Grian’s stronger, if somewhat shorter form. There was a moment there, catching those black eyes again with his own, a shortness of breath, a whirlwind of emotion. Slowly, a smug smirk slipped onto Grian’s features, the demon letting out a small chuckle before speaking.

“Maybe it would be worthwhile to keep you alive after all.” Grian whispered in his ear and the feeling of Grian’s breath on his neck sent a shiver down his spine.

Tango had every intention of replying by pulling Grian in for another round but the sound of a throat being cleared from across the room startled that thought away. Tango’s attention snapped towards the source of the sound, a rather uncomfortable looking Knight stood across the room. He’d completely forgotten Mumbo was there at all but the reminder had heat rising to his cheeks.

“Why don’t we call it a night?” Tango asked in a whisper, glancing down at Grian, fully intent on picking up where they’d left off once they had some privacy. Grian gave a nod, on board with that plan.

While Mumbo was blessedly silent on the walk back to their rooms, he remained in place to watch the two go their separate ways. Tango rolled his eyes but dutifully closed and locked his door before opening the window.


	9. Seeking Better Luck

“Okay.” Wels said calmly. “I would very much like for you to go back into the hall, come back in here and say just about anything else.”

“Sorry.” Mumbo sighed. “The complication stands.”

“This may be a step above ‘complication’.” Wels sighed. “I would rather have had Tango stay scared until this was all over… it would have been so much easier. I’m not sure we can trust his loyalties anymore.”

“It’s a bit soon to give up, isn’t it?” Impulse asked, frowning. “Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.”

“Just the trouble they’ve caused already is not encouraging and now the demon will have a new way to manipulate the damn fool.” Wels shook his head. 

“We don’t really have an option, anyway. If we kill Grian it kills Tango and he won’t complete his task… which will put the witch and the rest of the denizens here in a bad mood. If we are lucky, Tango will finish in a few days and we will be well gone by the time that spell breaks. We may need to spend the time making a cage that can hold the demon for the trip back, though.”

Impulse shook his head. “I think we’d be better off encouraging them to develop strong emotions then Tango will become a strong bargaining chip.”

“That does sound safer.” Wels admitted. “Just… keep an eye but keep a distance.”

“Doc will be less than thrilled.” Mumbo grumbled and went to give the man on guard duty the orders.

“I hope you’re right.” Wels sighed.

“Me, too.”


	10. Seeking Discovery

Words weren’t necessary. 

Tango lost all sense of time with Grian testing their emotional and physical connection. They simply existed together, separate but one in a unique way. Every kiss, every touch had been a learning experience. Tango didn’t mind the way the demon guided things, reveling in the pleasure and the way every kiss felt. He all but melted as Grian pulled him into bed, kissing his neck and holding him close. Not that Tango was one to leave the attention unreciprocated. He threaded his fingers through Grian’s sandy blonde hair, catching his soulmates lips any chance he got. Their lips chasing each other in a dance that Grian very nearly turned to a battle on principle alone. The passion between them felt very much like it would drown them both if they let it yet somehow Grian managed to keep their heads above water, barely.

He fell asleep in the arms of a demon and never felt safer.

Tango woke with a pang of disappointment at not feeling Grian lying beside him but that faded as he felt a strange ache and itch on his back. He sat up and looked around to see Grian shirtless at the foot of the bed scratching at the spots Tango felt. He’d already scratched a couple of gouges and was ignoring the nearly black blood dripping down his back. Each scratch was both a relief and added a new kind of pain to that burning ache. 

“What’s going on?” He asked, wincing as Grian scratched deeper.

“Oh… I think my wings are growing back. Sorry… it’ll hurt like hell for a couple of days if it’s like last time. This should help a little…”

Tango reached around and scratched the itchy spots - what had felt like one wide swath of itch he could tell was two smaller ones now. The added scratching without damage did ease it somewhat and he could feel Grian’s gratitude. 

He forced himself to lower his hands, fists clenched. 

“Here…” Tango sighed after a moment, slipping off of the bed to dig through his pack, returning a moment later with a health potion in hand.

“I don’t need that.” Grian huffed.

“Just hold still.” Tango requested and, with a mild wave of annoyance off of Grian, the demon did just that.

Tango set about dabbing the healing potion along the scratches and gouges, relieving the pain. With a soft sigh he set the bottle aside and resumed the gentle scratches, offering a deeper massage here and there. Sharing sensations as they did allowed a surprising level of accuracy in chasing away discomforts. Slowly Grian relaxed under his touch, the irritation of the returning wings faded slowly to the back of his mind. Tango leaned down, placing a feather light kiss against Grian’s back, the demon let out a soft gasp, intrigued at that. Before Tango knew it he was pinned down, those black eyes staring into the depths of his own soul, so close, so deep, like pits of obsidian, the depths of an unforgiving cavern ready to swallow him whole. A daunting sight, one that struck the depth of terror into most men. Tango had no doubt, however, he couldn’t bring himself to be afraid. Not right then, no. Despite the pitch darkness, he could feel what was rolling through Grian so rather than hesitate or flinch away, he pulled Grian closer. Pulled him down into another kiss. Another wave of passion, of the demon sinking into the delightful feeling. Tango didn’t let it carry on for too long before he pushed Grian away ever so slightly, gaining him a questioning look. He paid it no heed, instead leaning up to leave a trail of kisses down Grian’s neck before pulling him into a close hug.

Tango snuggled close and resumed the massaging and gentle scratching of Grian’s back from before, letting the warm, contented feeling he felt wash over them both. Grian seemed a bit resistant at first but the pleasantness of it seemed to win out and Grian all but melted against him like a cat in a sunny window. They stayed like that for a while, no words, just feelings. Just a rolling back and forth of the warmth and acceptance that the demon had likely never understood as having existed. At least, until a burning pain cropped up in Tango’s hand, reminding him of certain responsibilities.

“Damn it…” He muttered under his breath, a tinge of annoyance slipping through the rest.

“Better get moving, best not to keep her waiting.” Grian grumbled, pulling away of his own accord.

Tango nodded, hurrying about getting a fresh shirt and making his way for the door.


	11. Seeking Acceptance

Wels was exhausted. It wasn’t from lack of sleep, the accommodations here were excellent if unnerving. He wasn’t at all comfortable trying to sleep knowing he was surrounded by vindicators and other unpleasant people who would normally try to kill him on sight. His people's relative safety depending on the whims of a witch didn’t help much. Everything about the situation felt heavy and he was just  _ tired _ . 

He and Doc decided to get in some practice while Tango worked with the ravagers. Grian was the only person he would allow in the stables. Something about keeping the ravagers focused and earning trust. From where he was, he could see them occasionally move then be lavished with praise and attention but beyond that it was just hours of waiting. 

“Letting those two do whatever they want could lead to disaster.” Mumbo grumbled. Though he’d seen them go to their respective rooms the night before, they had emerged from Tango’s room together in the morning. That did raise some particularly large concerns. 

“I know. Standing in their way gives False leverage, though. We need to make sure they know we aren’t looking to get between them, just make sure Grian doesn’t start killing anyone who annoys him a little.”

“I’m more concerned his natural inclinations will transfer to Tango.” Mumbo grumbled, shaking his head. “Demons can be very persuasive when they care to try. Death and destruction are just part of what they are. Humans aren’t too far behind so it’s much more likely they’ll both end up corrupt and a dangerous duo.”

“We’ll deal with that if we have to. Just make sure Impulse is ready with a bow. If it looks like things are getting out of control, we will take Tango out and be done. I’d like to avoid that until we’re away from False or at least until Tango finishes training these things so we don’t end up in an all out war. She’s still got that second favor from Impulse and we don’t need him getting forced to turn on us.”

Mumbo fell silent until ready for the next round of sparring. Wels did his best to keep up while his mind went round and round all the possible complications they needed to prepare for. 

It was a tense relief when Tango called it a night. Wels and Mumbo were off watch duty but it was hard to relax knowing things could change at any moment. Still, he needed sleep and as much as he hated to admit it, the food was excellent. 

So excellent…. soothing… and the next thing he knew his eyes were refusing to open.


	12. Seeking Fun

Grian looked around at the four Knights asleep at the table. “What… happened?”

“They just looked so  _ tired _ after all that spying on you two.” False said cheerfully. “I thought they could use a good night’s rest.”

“So, you’ve got some spells planned they wouldn’t approve of.” Grian rolled his eyes. 

“I’m wounded!” She gasped. “I would never consider such a thing! I simply wanted to make sure you two had a little freedom. I may even go for a little walk so you’ll have the mansion to yourself!” 

She finished the last of the food on her plate and stood, stretching. “Come on, Cleo. Wouldn’t want me getting lonely on my walk, would you?”

The zombie looked up at her, both hope and disappointment clear in her features as she stood and followed the cheerful witch. 

“She’s definitely got plans.” Grian noted suspiciously. “If she just did that for our sakes she’d have pushed for us to accept owing her another favor. 

“We should probably get them to their rooms. I think Doc’s neck will hurt in the morning if he sleeps like that all night.” Tango mused, looking under the table to see the two foxes sleeping curled up as well.

Grian rolled his eyes. “Fine.”

Tango smiled and got up, carrying a fox over each shoulder. Grian did the same with Doc and Mumbo, their toes dragging along the floor behind him. Before long all four were settled comfortably in their beds and the two had the whole night ahead of them.

Soon they were on the roof again, a blanket spread to make it more comfortable. While it wasn't as luxurious as parts of the mansion he could feel Grian's relief each time they left the walls that had confined him for so long. Tango laid back watching the stars while Grian sat beside him. His wings had grown quite a bit over the course of the day. What had been little more than bloody scratches that morning were clearly wings, though barely the size of a bats. They were almost cute being so disproportionate, though. He could still feel the burning and ache as they were continuing to grow but it wasn’t so bad as to be distracting. At least the itching had stopped. 

Reaching up, he gently massaged the aching bones. He felt some relief from that and Grian relaxed a little. 

“Maybe it’s because the pain is shared… it’s not as bad as it was the first time.” Grian noted.

“What was it like to grow up as a demon?” Tango asked. 

“What was it like to grow up as a human?” He countered.

Tango chuckled. “Alright… let’s go the memory route again.”

He smiled as Grain settled lying across him so it’d be easier to reach both wings and Tango closed his eyes to think about growing up. His parents had been wonderful and he’d been happy, loved, safe. Chores were boring but he had a lot of peace and joy to share. All considered, it’d been a carefree life until he’d gotten old enough to go out on his own. Then he was lonely with the ravagers being his only true companions.

When he caught up to the present he moved from massaging wings to gently scratching Grian’s back. “What about you?”

He closed his eyes as Grian brought back memories of his youth. Where Tango’s life had been peaceful, Grian’s had been exciting. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but always thrilling. There were bursts of decadence and cheerful satisfaction he hadn’t expected but he could tell when Grian reached the point of being captured by Cub and forced into servitude. All joy was gone to leave only pain, resentment, isolation, and helpless rage. 

“I won’t let you go back to that.” Tango promised. “I want you to be as happy as you used to be.”

“No you don’t.” Grian grumbled. “Most of that was killing and eating ghasts or piglins and torturing stupid people who intruded in my territory.”

“Well, maybe I don’t necessarily want you to kill people but I want you to feel that way.” He laughed and felt Grian’s mood improve further with the carefree sound. 

“You mean that…” Grian said softly.

Tango smiled, lengthening the scratching to continue up his neck and trace a path through his hair. Though he wished he could see the other man’s face, he didn’t need to. He could feel the awestruck puzzlement, the unnerved turmoil of what all of these new feelings might mean. “Of course I do.”

Grian didn’t respond as they both felt the echoes of unease and excitement. While it was easier for him to take in stride, this was not what he thought he’d been looking for. Now, though, with this forced honesty making it impossible to hide from themselves or each other… it just made sense. As unusual as it might have seemed at first, he couldn’t help but appreciate his soulmate.

Grian was confused by the positive emotions that were alien to him and it was an odd thrill to feel him react with surprise and suspicion while also basking in it. Though he usually maintained a straight face or predatory glare when others were around, smiles were getting a little more common when it was just them. Better than that, though, was the smugness that was slowly becoming something closer to pride any time Grian was able to make him laugh. He’d never bothered saying it out loud but it was obvious Grian loved to hear Tango laugh. As it was, any time something started to bother him a chicken would suddenly appear nearby and remembering all the chaos they’d created with chickens would start him laughing again. 

“Everything is different with you here.” Grian said, suspicion spiking at the growing warm glow Tango felt building up. 

“Good. You didn’t deserve to be so miserable.”

“That’s an odd statement to make about a violent demon.” He noted.

“You’re more than that, though.” Tango protested, prompting Grian to turn and hold his gaze with unapologetic black eyes. 

“I wasn’t until you got here.”

“You just didn’t know you had a choice. Even if you’d been told, you wouldn’t have understood. Now you have the choice of who you want to be. If you give up killing except for food or self defense, I’ll be here. If you want to go back to life as a demon… well, I’ll help you get away from the Knights and return to the nether.”

“Those are the only options?” Grian looked away, frustrated and uncertain.

“The only ones I can think of.” He confirmed. 

“Why not just… enjoy life as it comes naturally?” Grian asked and Tango’s consciousness was overwhelmed with a chaos of bloodlust, glee, satisfaction, and triumph. It would be a lie to say he hadn’t enjoyed it but he knew that as amazing as that felt, what was actually happening to cause Grian those feelings would likely make Tango feel sick. 

“It’s not natural for me.” He said, honestly sorry. It wasn’t fair that he did need to ask Grian to defy what was once his identity… but with a soul things changed. 

He shifted to murmur in Tango's ear. "I think you'd change your mind if you gave evisceration a chance."

The combination of Grian's emotional memories and kissing along his neck left Tango speechless and momentarily lost to the pleasure as it was not only created but echoed in Grian and bounced back with greater intensity that made self-control increasingly more difficult. More so because Grian had no desire to even pretend he was going to resist anything.

Good judgement was forgotten by the time the moon was overhead and Tango just let himself surrender to the thrill and the smile in Grian’s intense eyes. Eyes that saw through to every flaw in him and accepted him without judgement. Eyes that could be either beautiful or terrifying but held only wonder, love and a promise of fun mischief when holding his gaze.


	13. Seeking Restraint

Wels woke in his bed, armor neatly set nearby… but it wasn't where he had been putting it at night. He lay still trying to remember what had happened but the last thing he could dredge up was sitting at the dinner table then….

His blood ran cold and he scrambled to get fully dressed, weapons strapped into place then went to check on the other Knights. He hadn’t been tired yet. There were plans to meet the others after dinner. He pounded on Mumbo’s door and got a groggy mumble in response so he opened it and stepped in. As had been the case with him, Mumbo was tucked into bed with his armor and weapons carefully placed nearby.

“Wels…?” Mumbo yawned, sat up and glanced at his armor.. “What… wait, what happened?”

“I’m not sure. Get up, we need to find out what happened while we were asleep.” He left the battlemage to get himself moving and woke the other two. Even Doc’s foxes had been asleep. 

No one died so Grian hadn’t lost control. It was unlikely Tango had the ability to pull something like that... so that meant False had probably put a sleeping potion in their food or drinks. 

He was fuming as he checked Tango’s room to find it empty and Grian’s door was locked. There was no evidence of movement inside when he pounded on the door. 

“Not there?” Mumbo asked as he caught up. “Do you think they ran off?”

“That’s unlikely. They would have to know False would be in a race with us to catch them. Tango hasn’t completed his favor yet so they aren’t free. Now, where they are is a damn good question.” Wels growled. “We need to search the mansion. I’ll take the grounds outside and first floor. Have Doc and the foxes handle the top floor. You and Impulse check the rest.”

“Alright.” Mumbo nodded and hurried to pass the orders on as Wels stalked toward the door. Something had happened and he needed to know where that demon was before confronting False. 


	14. Seeking Good Times

Tango woke hearing his name being bellowed from a distance. He had been sleeping deep with Grian there. There was no need to worry about anything attacking them with a bodyguard far more intimidating than an enraged enderman. He snuggled a little closer, basking in the warmth from both sun and Grian. 

Negative emotions were getting more rare to feel from him. While he was annoyed any time he saw False and clearly wanted to get away from this mansion, they were both enjoying the ability to share, echo and enhance emotions between each other. 

Some were harder to control than others, Tango was concerned what would happen if Grian genuinely got angry but thus far his cheer had been able to override most of the anger the other felt. 

“TANGO! GRIAN!” The angry shout came again from somewhere on the ground. It sounded like Wels which was not at all a surprise.

“He sounds annoyed as ever.” Tango noted as he stretched.

“Yeah, they’ve been trying to find us for a while.” Grian murmured.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Tango laughed, hugging him.

“You were sleeping well and the inability to locate us seemed more like a ‘them’ problem than an ‘us’ problem.” He said with a little shrug and smug amusement. He had nothing to fear from the Knights, really. He wasn't quite as powerful as he used to be but he was confident they would walk away even if it was decided to kill them. Still, Tango didn't want to test that.

“We better let them find us before Wels loses his temper and blows up the mansion.” 

“Hmm… true. But - hear me out - we could just go wait at a safe distance. Maybe start the fire ourselves and let False keep busy fighting with them. Might get away clean. This could work brilliantly” Grian grinned.

“I’d rather not leave anything to chance. I won’t let them see you as ‘just a demon’. You’re  **so** much more than that.” Tango smiled as Grian wrapped him in a tight hug. While he didn’t say anything, he could feel the demon’s pleased appreciation stronger than the disappointment. He’d stopped arguing and that was enough but it helped to feel that happiness as it grew. Every day it was easier to feel a familiarity that went deeper than he expected after meeting Grian. It was the feeling he’d expected upon meeting his soulmate, the connection and understanding that he’d taken for granted would be part of the process. 

It had taken a few days but he no longer feared Grian at all. Even without their connection he knew the other would never actually hurt him. Any threats of violence or death were hollow when it came to Tango. But only Tango. There was no doubt he  _ wanted _ to kill everyone else and without reason to behave, he absolutely would. And he would enjoy it. At least, if not connected to Tango. It was still doing a lot of good to expose him to different triggers for those feelings of joy, though. There was as much of a feeling of glee in sneaking a kiss when no one was looking as there was in gutting a pigman. At least the statement hadn’t felt like a lie. 

Finally Tango got up, made sure they were reasonably presentable, and laughed as Grian caught him in a tight hug. His wings were much larger today - they still seemed a bit on the small side compared to his body’s proportions but it was with absolute confidence he pulled Tango over the edge of the roof. 

Wels’ lack of reaction told him they were invisible as they glided down and around the corner to land on the other side of the house. Once on solid ground Grian spun him for a kiss before releasing him and stepping back. “Well, let’s go pretend he can trust us not to fill his room with chickens tonight.”

Tango laughed and fell into step with Grian as they headed for the angry Knight still hollering their names. 

Time played quite a joke on Tango as things calmed down and he returned to training the ravagers with Grian keeping others away. They were not particularly trusting beasts and when he won them over it took multiple short visits from False to get them used to her. He didn’t let her stay too long, just enough to get them to take food from her and recognize her as someone beneficial to them. 

Hours slipped by followed by days as he worked to get them free of False’s influence. The Knights remained tense and angry, avoiding the witch who had drugged them. None of them were ever told what she’d slipped off to do and Tango was sure he didn’t want to know. It was impossible to tell whether Grian guessed or not, he just despised the witch with all his heart. 

That was the darkest emotion Tango usually felt from the increasingly happy demon, though. More often than not he was trying to find ways to make Tango laugh. It wasn’t hard with the increasingly enthusiastic attempts. His favorite was when Grian spent one night shoving chickens into every room and container in the mansion while everyone else slept. While Tango hadn’t noticed him slip out, no one else could have gotten chickens in some of those locations. False was less than pleased and the staff wasn’t thrilled to have so much to clean up. Grian had made sure they wouldn’t go hungry in their temporarily cramped quarters. 

His wings finally stopped growing and the cease of that particular pain was a blessing. They weren’t as strong as his original wings, all he could do was glide with them, but was pleased to have them back. The claws, though…

Tango had to plead with him to file back the razor sharp points. Grian had resisted the idea with indignant justifications mostly involving ease of killing. It wasn’t until Tango pointed out that it would hurt much worse to be disemboweled with a dull blade than a sharp one that the demon had cheerfully begun filing. 

In spite of all the limitations of the situation, Tango found himself happier than he could ever remember being with Grian there to share his contentment and love.


	15. Finding a New Beginning

The day had come at last. 

Tango could feel Grian’s excitement, though there were sharp needles of disappointment mixed in. It had been the strangest but best week of his life. While he was sure Grian could be trusted, the Knights were tense as the sun neared the horizon. 

“So, have you decided on what you’ll do when you’re truly free?” False asked, clearly knowing everyone was still waiting for that answer.

“Yes.” Grian answered.

“Well?” She prompted.

“No, I won’t be digging a well.”

Tango snickered and squeezed Grian’s hand as he turned to watch for the rise of the moon. They waited in silence but he could still feel Grian’s mounting concern. False turned after the moon rose over the trees and kicked Grian’s shin. Tango quickly took the weight off that foot and scowled at her as pain burst out in his leg. 

“Strange… it should have ended by now.” False began pacing in a small circle. “Now… let me see…. What could cause something like this…”

“False…” Grian’s confusion evaporated in the burning fires of rage.

“Oh no!” She stopped and looked up with a suitably appalled expression but her eyes were twinkling with glee. “I must have accidentally grabbed the tainted netherwart for the ritual! I’m so sorry, Grian! This may be… permanent.”

“Surely you have a way to break the spells you cast!” Tango protested, torn between relief and dismay.

“Well, yes. Though it’s a lot more difficult, I’m afraid.” She admitted, holding Grian’s gaze. “You would owe me quite the favor to go to such lengths.”

The Knights perked up, Wels barely managed to stifle a laugh in his relief. 

“We’ll find a way to deal with it.” Grian grumbled. “For now.”

“Well, you know where to find me if you decide you want to have control of your own life again.” False said cheerfully. “And you two will be free to go as soon as the ravagers obey me.”

“I believe they will do so now.” Tango assured her. 

“Shall we see?” She grinned and bounded off to the stables. 

Tango followed, hoping things went smoothly. He wasn’t entirely confident just yet but he wanted to get away from False before Grian lost his temper and burned the mansion to the ground using her as a torch.

He grabbed one of the many wandering chickens on the way in, standing nearby as she drew one of the ravagers from its pen. It didn’t attack right away so Tango was fairly certain it wouldn’t. 

“Sit.” She commanded and it did so. She giggled and went through the rest of the commands she’d asked for. Stand, roll over, go, stop… then came the one Tango was least certain of and as she prepared to speak the word, he threw the chicken. “Bite!”

With unnerving speed the ravager lashed out and all that was left of the chicken were a few feathers. False clapped, smiling. Wels looked like he was about to draw a weapon and the rest of the Knights were tensed to do the same. 

“Well, it’s been lovely but my home security system is now complete and your welcome has run out.” False said cheerfully. “I ask that all of you leave and only return if you want to talk business or die. I assure you these beasts will only be used to defend my home. Bye, now!”

Grian glared but let Tango pull him away. It took a bit more shoving to get Wels to turn around.

“Come on.” Tango encouraged. “It’s not worth fighting this one. Get your horses and I’ll make sure she doesn’t send them after us until you’re all safely off the mansion grounds.”

The angry Knights gave in to reason and soon they were all down the road, only Tango and Grian looking any measure of cheerful. Once they reached the village the two burst into laughter.

“Best prank ever!” Grian crowed.

“I can’t believe it worked!” Tango grinned, looking over at Wels. “You can calm down now. The ravagers will only attack chickens. They’re going to be docile enough for kids to ride if she takes them to a village! She won’t be happy when she finds out but hopefully she won’t be able to find us.”

The Knights relaxed, grinning. Wels shook his head and chuckled. “Alright, then. Thank you for that. What  _ do _ you plan on doing now?”

Tango and Grian looked at each other and grinned. “Aggravate.”

“What?” Wels raised an eyebrow.

“We’ll build a nice, safe place nearby and torment False.” Grian smirked. “She’s going to get  _ so _ tired of eating chicken.”

“We can’t just walk away, she’s more devious than she seems.”

“I’ve seen the way she manipulates people with favors and I know there are a  _ lot  _ of people out there who owe her already. If she causes problems bad enough we can’t handle it, we’ll call you in.” Grian assured him. 

“What about that connection? Doesn’t it give you a particularly dangerous weakness?” Doc pointed out.

“Technically. Tango  _ is _ particularly fragile but I can make him do this…” Grian grinned and sent a burst of lust and ecstasy to Tango which caused a bright blush. “...so I’ll handle it for now.”

“Yeah…” Mumbo raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “We  _ will _ still be checking on you regularly.”

“No surprise there.” Tango said, trying to gather his wits again.

“There’s a mountain east of the mansion that has a good view of the place. We’ll build there. Probably more inside it than not. The longer it takes False to find us, the more fun we’ll have.”

“For now, I guess, just enjoy yourselves.” Wels sighed, shaking his head. “Be careful.”

They cheerfully agreed and parted ways with the Knights, the two ready to start a new life together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THAT'S IT! we hope you you all enjoyed!! This was a fun project to do and I'm really happy I got to work with FriendlyCurse on it, so if you like more twisted story telling please go check them out! They do lots of crossovers.
> 
> As always, comments are welcome!!


End file.
